Melatonin is typically used to treat sleep problems, especially in older people or with changing sleep schedules, but lately, many other benefits have been attributed. Is it true that melatonin can help you lose weight?
If you want to know this and much more, continue reading this FastlyHealarticle. You will find the necessary information about whether melatonin makes you fat or thin, how it works, its benefits, what side effects you can expect from it, and how to take it correctly.
Table of Contents
What are melatonin and its benefits?
Melatonin is a substance secreted by the body, a hormone that begins in the late afternoon and peaks in the late evening. It is a regulator of the body’s activities during the night and the day, being its best-known effect on sleep. Over the years, the production of this substance in the body decreases; therefore, it is believed to be one of the leading causes of insomnia in older adults. It is also artificially synthesized, and this drug is commonly used in the following cases:
- Insomnia in people over 50 years old (delayed sleep).
- Insomnia in the elderly.
- Insomnia due to time changes (rotating work shifts, jet lag).
This medication should be taken half an hour before going to sleep, trying to always be at the same time, precisely to acquire good sleep habits.
But its action on sleep is not the only one. Different studies have revealed other benefits of melatonin:
- Antioxidant
- Anticancerígeno.
- Stimulates other hormones.
- Reduces the formation of clots.
- Helps in defenses (formation of antibodies).
- It makes the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients easier.
- Improves sexual activity.
- Reduces the amount of stomach acid, protecting it from ulcers.
Therefore, it is logical that its use is spreading, and more and more people want to know about the benefits of melatonin.
Does melatonin make you fat or lose weight? – the answer
According to some studies, melatonin would help reduce body weight and decrease weight gain. This could be due to different benefits:
- Regulates body metabolism, acting as a biological clock, helping the bodywork appropriately depending on whether it is night or day.
- It causes fatty tissue, which is difficult to remove, to transform into another type of fat that disappears easier.
- It could decrease the appetite in people with obesity.
- Accommodating the periods of sleep and wakefulness also improves metabolism since someone who sleeps less than 8 hours or does it poorly is more likely to be obese than someone who sleeps well.
But it has also been seen that if melatonin administration is accompanied by a diet rich in fat, the bodyweight also increases, although to a lesser extent than if the melatonin was not taken. The healthy habits of a healthy diet and exercise probably will give good results.
As you can see, it is not a miracle medication either. It is essential to accompany its consumption with good practices and healthy lifestyle habits.
How to take melatonin to lose weight
As we have seen, if you want to lose weight, it is enough to take melatonin, but you must also put into practice healthy lifestyle habits. Here are some tips :
- Exercise regularly: 30 minutes of daily walking or other exercise is a very effective antidote to obesity. It will help you feel good about yourself, activate your metabolism, and give you energy.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables, if they are raw better since they will give you everything you need to restore balance to your body. Try to have a natural fruit or vegetable present in each meal.
- Leave aside industrialized products, especially “low calories” or “light.” They are full of toxins that your body does not do well (colorants, flavorings, preservatives). The more natural your diet, the faster you will lose weight.
- Drink water. Water alone has proven to be very helpful when trying to correct obesity. Putting aside cola-type drinks, artificial juices, flavored waters, and alcohol is a tremendous healthy step.
- Avoid refined ones: salt, sugar, and white flour are fatal. Instead, switch to sea or rock salt, honey, whole grain sugar, whole wheat flour, or other gluten-free types.
- Avoid “bad” proteins: meat and dairy bring more problems than benefits. They are challenging to digest and cause inflammation and intoxication. Change them for more usable proteins: legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans), nuts, and seeds (sunflower, chia, sesame).
Melatonin foods
In addition to being naturally found in the human body and being artificially manufactured, it has also been identified in different species of animals, plants, and even microscopic beings. For this reason, it has been seen that certain plants can be a good source of melatonin, which can help regulate certain bodily functions. Among the foods with melatonin and medicinal plants that can be ingested are:
- Grape.
- Cherry.
- Strawberry.
- Walnut.
- Tomatoes.
- Pepper.
- Integral rice.
- Orange.
- Apple.
- Col.
- Pistachios
- Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis).
- St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum).
- Matricaria (Tanacetum parthenium).
In the following article, you can see other tips to produce melatonin naturally.
Side effects of melatonin
All drugs have side effects. In the case of melatonin, it has very few if used in the short term. Among them are:
- Sickness.
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness.
- Headache.
- Mild anxiety
- Tremors in the hands.
- Confusion.
- Low tension.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Does melatonin, make you fat or lose weight? We recommend that you enter our category of Medication and medical tests.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.